Author Archives: Stephen Perez
Instrumental music in todays industry can be a tough sell people naturally seem better able to connect with ideas expressed through words and lyrics rather than musical ones. Of course this makes things harder for the musician; how communicative can your music be when youve jettisoned the expressive capabilities of lyrics? But because the internet is flooded with singer-songwriters who deliver their heartfelt lyrics over tired, four chord guitar playing, any attempt to deliver up a piece of art that speaks solely through sound and melody rather than words is admirable. Warren Mendonsa, the primary guitarist and composer of Blackstratblues, attempts to do just this with his newest record The Universe Has a Strange Sense…
The enduring persistence of blues music is extraordinary. Its roots date back to the turn of the twentieth century, and since then there have been an incalculable number of musicians who have pushed the genre in new directions and refined its sound. When playing music in any genre with about a century of history behind it, there are really just two ways to approach it: experiment and innovate, or play it straight, being careful not to deviate from the established rules that define the genre. In todays scene, the Shillong-based band Soulmate is one recent band to carry the banner of blues music, and while they fall squarely in the latter category, on their newest…
Whenever a popular rock band has reached a certain point in a lengthy career, they will typically take one of two paths: they either shift their style to stay relevant and suit the ever evolving tastes of new listeners (and risk accusations of being sell-outs), or they stick to their sound, rehashing the same songs again and again until theyre pumping out vapid, uninspired releases seemingly on auto-pilot. Within a few decades, a band will begin to show signs of gravitating towards one or the other, and for fans of these decaying rock bands, either fate is difficult to watch. While Bangalore based band Thermal and a Quarter dont quite yet have enough years to…
